Kerry Shawn Keys
Kerry Shawn Keys (born June 25, 1946) is an American poet, playwright and translator. He is a citizen of the United States and Lithuania. Life Youth Keys was born June 25 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on the banks of the Susquehanna River near the Appalachian mountain range. His father, Elmer Richard Keys, worked as a plumber and sold kitchens. Elmer Keys was of mixed Swiss-German and Irish descent, and had been orphaned at an early age when Elmer's mother died of pneumonia shortly after his father a chauffer, Whip Keys, shot in broad daylight in downtown Harrisburg his wealthy mistress and then committed suicide. This event marked both his father and the poet at an early age. The poet's mother, Helen Louise (Kirk), of mixed English, Scottish and Irish ancestry, was a housewife and clerk typist. Both parents were active in sports, and his mother and older brother played the saxophone, and so athletics (in 1964 the poet was chosen as athlete-of-the-year in the Central Pennsylvania public schools) and music were very much a part of the household. The poet accredits his courting of the Muse of Poetry to his skill at stalking and to an inborn body-rhythm, and rhythms inculcated through music, dance, athletics, and silence. Both his parents shared a love for poetry as did Keys's maternal grandmother, but they were not schooled in it. The young poet from a very early age spent a good deal of time fishing and hunting with his father, and tramping the mountains around their family hunting cabin near Pine Grove Furnace and Fuller Lake. Keys often mentions the Blue Mountains and these outdoor activities as the true birthplace of his poetry. Keys attended inner city, public schools. They were racially mixed – white and what was referred to as "colored" at that time. Soul music, bluesy rock, "hillbilly" tunes, and especially jazz all combined to influence the rhythms and oral thrust that permeate much of Keys’ poetry. Another major influence from this period was the cadenced, visceral Sunday sermons of Christ Lutheran's spellbinding minister, Pastor Rudisill. In 1964, Keys went to Philadelphia to attend the University of Pennsylvania on several scholarships given partly as a result of a new "quota" system the Ivy League institution was using to recruit "Colored folk" and the economically disadvantaged. Keys took a leave-of-absence after his sophomore year (1968), and joined the Peace Corps for a 2-year stint as an agricultural assistant in the south of India in a town near Hyderabad. Here, for the 1st time, he had the leisure of reading dozens of books of quality literature, and after reading García Lorca, Valéry's essays, and Tagore he made the definitive decision to be a poet. He also delved deeply into Hindu religion and philosophy. And at this time the seeds were planted for his monumental, polyphonic epic poem, A Gathering Of Smoke, first published by P. Lal in Calcutta, and later by Three Continents Press in Washington, D.C. in 1986. Returning to Penn in 1968, he majored in English literature and earned a B.A. in 1970. During those final 2 years, Keys was much influenced by an omnivorous reading of English-language poets from the canon, but particularly by Shakespeare, Donne, Keats, Dylan Thomas, Yeats, Wallace Stevens, and especially Pound's Cantos. Other major influences at this formative time were Joyce, Jung, Pablo Neruda, Whitehead, Nagarjuna, Thoreau, Chuang-Tzu, and Bachelard and Husserl. After graduation, the poet lived in Center City, Philadelphia for 2 years, and started to read many of the poets of the 50's and 60's, most of which he came across via the groundbreaking anthology of the time, Naked Poetry, and through Robert Bly's literary journal, The Fifties and The Sixties. Of considerable importance were Gary Snyder and W.S. Merwin and early Robert Lowell, Ted Hughes, and Antonio Machado. During this time, Willis Barnstone's Modern European Poetry Anthology became an inexhaustible reference for further reading, and spurred Keys on to enroll in graduate school at Indiana University at Bloomington, where Barnstone taught. Shortly before matriculating, Keys married Ann Fletcher James, a Temple student from the Fishtown area of Philadelphia. While at Bloomington, Keys became close friends with poet Robert Bringhurst, who became a kind of literary sidekick and example of complete dedication to the Muse of Poetry. Bringhurst was, perhaps, the only contemporary to exert an influence on Keys’ poetics other than poet, Michael Jennings. Keys earned an M.A. in English Literature in 1973. Career In 1973, Keys returned to Pennsylvania to live in the family's hunting cabin, determined to live simply, write poetry and do little else. Bringhurst joined him briefly, right after inaugurating Kanchenjunga Press with his own debutt book of poems, The Shipwright's Log (1972). The next book published was Keys’ Swallowtails Gather These Stones (1973). That was soon followed by Keys’ 2nd book of poems, Jade Water (1974), designed and published by Bringhurst. Both of these poets were wary of the editorial competence and tastes of the larger publishing houses, preferring handsewn books and chapbooks. From the early 1970s to the mid-1980s, Keys and Bringhurst maintained an extensive correspondence now housed in Keys’ archives at Dickinson College in Carlisle, and at the National Library of Canada in Ottawa. It was Keys who originally brought Bringhurst to Gary Snyder's attention, and Bringhurst wrote a foreword to Gary Snyder's recently reissued study of a Haida myth, He Who Hunted Birds in His Father's Village (2007). Robert Bly also visited the poet at this time and encouraged Keys to move to Brazil, a move that Keys and his wife were already planning. From 1974 to 1978, Keys lived in Rio de Janeiro, teaching, translating, and writing poetry. He soon joined the Vila Isabel Samba School (club). While in Rio, Keys became friends with Carangola and Lêdo Ivo and soon began translating Ivo and João Cabral de Melo Neto, resulting in their publication by New Directions, and some years later a Selected Poems of Lêdo Ivo's, Landsend (1998) in Keys’ own Pine Press. Keys also organized and edited a groundbreaking, bilingual anthology of contemporary North American poetry, Quingumbo, published in São Paulo. In 1977, Keys and his wife returned to Pennsylvania and built a post-and-beam cabin, Oak-Omolú, in the hills of Perry County, where Keys lived for nearly two decades, except for two more years in Brazil (Salvador), a year of which (1983–84) the poet did research on African-Brazilian liturgy on a Senior Fulbright grant. At the behest of Brazilian novelist, Jorge Amado, Keys resided in the neighborhood of Rio Vermelho. During that time, the poet divorced and was remarried to the Bahian, Ziza. Many collections of poetry saw the light during this period, with considerable thematic content: India; Brazil; the Tao te ching; flamenco; Central America; and of course the beloved Pennsylvania hill country. In these poems, Keys continues his phenomenological and lyrical exploration of Dasein in regard to etymology, rapture, and metaphor. Though like Auden and many other prolific poets, Keys does not hesitate to write songs; light verse; limericks; pithy satiric squibs; erotica; ideograms; haiku; epigrams, parodies, and enigmatic epiphanies and riddles. His prose wonderscripts and plays are dense, and often dark and absurd. His children's books verge on fables. Of considerable importance from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s was Keys’ relationship with artist and flamenco guitarist Frank Rush Miller (Paco de Nada). They were close colleagues and friends, lived together for a while, and on occasion performed in tandem in Pennsylvania, Spain, Central America, and Brazil. Another important link has been with his friend, poet Gerald Stern, which began in the mid-70s and continues to this day. Stern, the consummate, pastoral urbanite, came to live in rural Perry County at Keys’ invitation, and wrote many poems evoking the landscape, such as the much anthologized poem, Nice Mountain which visits the "great open space" that Keys homesteaded. Other poets during this time who became close, influential friends, were J.C. Todd (Jane Todd Cooper) and Craig Czury. Keys also gained a reputation as an outstanding reader of poetry, performing for academic and café-bar scene audiences. He was the American Poet-in-Residence at the Iowa International Writing Program for 2 semesters, and also worked as a cultural and language facilitator for international visitors from abroad. Keys again divorced in the mid-80's and then lived for some half-dozen years withsinger-songwriter, mythic mountain woman, and textile artist, Janet Pellam (who with the poet "invented" a method of binding Pine Press books using a Singer sewing machine). In 1992, he received the Robert H Winner Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America. During the 1970s and 1980s, Keys occasionally taught English literature, grammar, and composition, and poetry at Penn State University, Harrisburg Area Community College (where he co-founded and co-directed the Wildwood Poetry Festival), and Dickinson College. His papers are archived at Dickinson College, Carlisle, where he was an honorary Associate Fellow for 12 years. With no health insurance and a severe injury to his leg and back while felling trees, Keys began toying with idea of a move to Europe, and visited Croatia and what was then Czechoslovakia, and soon was spending considerable time in Olomouc with the Czech poet, Petr Mikeš. It was from there in 1996 that he journeyed to Wrocław to visit the Polish poet, Urszula Kozioł, and then on to visit Leszek Engelking, a poet and Pound's and Nabokov's Polish translator, in Warsaw, where he met and established a close relationship with the Mexican ex-pat poet, Gerardo Beltrán (Zorro) and with the Lithuanian poet, Kornelijus Platelis (Zapata). They later became known as the Three Z's, Keys having already been dubbed with the sobriquet, Zopi, in Tela by the Garifuna community. When the poet moved to Vilnius in 1998 to teach translation theory and creative composition for 2 years as Fulbright professor at Vilnius University and Vilnius Pedagogical University, he took with him Pine Press and soon began producing these "Singer" sewn books with the budding Lithuanian Press, Vario Burnos, under the direction of the book-designer and architect of words, Tomas Butkus. These eccentric, cheaply available editions of poetry had considerable impact on the local scene. Books by Tomaž Šalamun, Charles Bukowski, Vytautas Blože, João Cabral de Melo Neto, Michael Jennings, Brian Young, Bill Shields, J.C. Todd, Craig Czury, Hailji, and others infiltrated the Lithuanian younger generation, as did poetry readings at Keys’ Hermescort Saloon-Salon. The poet was married for a brief time to Lithuanian Presidential archival photographer, Džoja Barysaite. From 1998 to the present, Keys has lived for the most part in Vilnius, publishing, editing, translating from Lithuanian and Portuguese, and writing poetry, plays, children's books, and wonderscripts. 2 significant books of Keys’ poetry (a bilingual Selected, Vultures’ Country, and Tao te ching Meditations, Bones & Buzzards) were published in the Czech Republic, both mid-wifed by Czech poet, Petr Mikeš; as well as 2 books in Lithuanian with commentary by Kornelijus Platelis and Sigitas Geda, both eminent poets of their respective generations. Keys’ chapbook and book translations of Lithuanian poets include works by Eugenijus Ališanka; Sonata Paliulytė; Jonas Jackevičius; Sigitas Geda; Laurynas Katkus; and others. Keys has also helped to usher into Lithuania bilingual editions a Selected Poems: The banks of noon, by Emily Dickinson (translated by Sonata Paliulytė) and a Selected Poems of Menke Katz’ English-language poems, collaborating with Menke's son, the Yiddish scholar Dovid Katz who is at times based in Vilna (Vilnius). During the same time Keys also published books in America: 1 with the Virtual Artists Collective; and 3 with Presa S Press, the most recent, Transporting, a cloak of rhapsodies, 2010, with cover artwork by Paris-based Brazilian painter, Gonçalo Ivo, whose artwork is also found on Pine Press books from the 90s. Since the mid-90s, Keys’ poems and translations have been published extensively in European journals and in the USA. He performs poetry throughout Europe with Russian/Lithuanian free-jazz percussionist and constellation artist, Vladimir Tarasov. They released a CD with Prior Records in 2006. Recently he performed as Biblical Chronicler and Speaker in Tarasov's and Frido Mann's multimedia project, The Flood, and has recently ventured into voicing audio-e books for children. Keys has received translation and book-art laureates in Lithuania, and is a member of the Lithuanian Writers Union and PEN, and was Writer in Residence for SLS Lithuania 2009 and 2011. He resides in Vilnius with the Lithuanian poet, translator, and actress, Sonata Paliulytė, and their two children. Recognition * National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, USA, 2005 * Poet-Laureate Translator for translation of a book from Lithuanian into a foreign language, Writers Union,Lithuania, 2003 * World Ambassador for Poetry, Republic of Uzupis, 2002 – indefinite * Poetry Society Of America, Robert H. Winner Memorial Award, 1992, poem meditations on the Tao. Publications Poetry * Swallowtails Gather These Stones. Bloomington, IN: Kanchenjunga Press, 1973. * Jade Water (poems and a one-act play; designed by Robert Bringhurst). Kanchenjunga Press, 1974 * Loose Leaves Fall: Selected poems. Pine Press, 1977. * Seams (designed by Robert Bringhurst). Vancouver, BC, & San Francisco, CA: Formant Press, 1985. * The Hearing. Warm Spring Press, 1992. * Fingerlings. Warm Spring Press, 1993 * Fingerlings 2. Warm Spring Press, 1994. * Decoy's Desire. Santa Fe, NM: Pennywhistle Press, 1993. * Krajina Supu/Vultures’ Country (Selected Poems in Czech and English; translated by Petr Mikeš). Votobia, Olomouc, 1996 * Warm Springs. Pine Press, 1995. * Flamenco Songs (poems and songs). Pine Press, 1995. * Blues in Green, the Brazilian Poems. Pine Press, 1996. * The Nearing Notebooks (with John Burns). Pine Press, 1996. * Narrow Passage To The Deep Light. Pine Press, 1996. *''Ratoons'' (a theatre-dance piece in verse). Prague: Formant Press, 1996. * Turning the Mask. Pine Press, 1997. * Krishna's Karma. Pacobooks, 1997. * Moon Shining the Millennium. Pine Press, 1998. * Ch’antscapes. Pine Press, 1998. * Sorrows of an Old Worder (letter-poem). Pine Press, 1998. * The Festival of Familiar Light (poems, circa 1980s). Pine Press, 1998. * Menulio Smukle (Pub of the Moon): Selected poems in Lithuanian (translated by Eugenijus Alisanka). Vaga Press, 1999. * Inclusions. Klaipeda, LIthuania: Vario Burnos Press, 2002. * In the Pouring Rain, Gopiah's Tamil Poems. Pine Press, 2002. * Corresponding Voices (5 poets presentation). Syracuse, NY: Point of Contact Productions, 2002. * Conversations With Tertium Quid. Vilnius, Lithuania: Lithuanian Writers Union Press, 2003. * Broken Circle. Chicago: Virtual Artists Collective, 2005. * The Burning Mirror. Rockford, MI: Presa, 2008. * Book of Beasts: A Bestiary. Rockford, MI: Presa, 2009. * Transporting: A cloak of rhapsodies. Rockford, MI: Presa, 2010. *''Night Flight''. Rockford, MI: Presa, 2012. Robert Murray Davis,[http://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2012/september/night-flight-kerry-shawn-keys#.UTVX-KJ_CSo Night Flight, Kerry Shawn Keys], World Literature Today, University of Oklahoma. Web, Mar. 4, 2013. Prose *''A Gathering of Smoke: Gopiah's South Indian prose-poem journals''. Calcutta: Writers Workshop, 1986; Washington, DC: Three Continents Press, 1989. * Pavlov's Duck. Pacobooks, 2001. * Return Of The Bird, prose, Pacobooks, 2002 * Tao te ching Meditations, Bones and Buzzards. Olomouc, Czech Republic: Periplum Press, 2003. * The Miraculous Veteran. Pacobooks, 2003. Juvenile * The Land Of People = Žmoniu Šalis (Lithuanian edition) (children's book with artwork by the author and Ann James Costello). Vilnius, Lithuania: Kronta Press,, 2007. Collected editions * Blue Rose Fusion (a selection of poems and prose for teachers). Berlin, Germany: American Embassy, 2004. Translated *Jose Paulo Moreira Da Fonseca, O Pintor e o Poeta, The Painter and the Poet (poems and paintings, bilingual Portuguese-English presentation). Rio de Janeiro: Spala Press, 1976. *João Cabral de Melo Neto, A Knife All Blade (translation of poem, "Uma facá so lamina"). Pine Press / New Directions Anthology, 1982. *João Cabral de Melo Neto, Death and Life of Severino the Migrant (translation of verse-play, Morte E Vida Severino), manuscript. *Petr Mikeš, In the Tracks of the Dead (translated with Wanda Boeke). Pine Press, 1993. *Ledo Ivo, Landsend: Selected poems. Pine Press, 1998. * Laurynas Katkus, October Holidays, and other poems. Vario Burnos Press, 2001. *Sigitas Geda, Biopsy of Winter: Selected poems. Vaga Press, 2002. * Six Young Lithuanian Poets. Vaga Press, 2002. *Eugenijus Ališanka, A Selection. Klaipeda: Frankfurt Chapbooks, Lithuanian Post-Samizdat Publishing, Klaipėda House of Artists, 2002. * Jonas Jackevičius, The Yellow Insect (Geltonas Vabzdys). (translation from Lithuanian with Judita Glauberzonaite). Vilnius: Diemedzio Publishing, 2005. * Jonas Jackevičius, A Bug In The Brain (Vabalas Smegenineje). (translation from Lithuanian with Judita Glauberzonaite). Vilnius: Vaga Press, 2007. * Life and Unbelief (Gyvybe ir netikejimas) (Lithuanian/English chapbook). Vytautas Kaziela, 2009. *Sonata Paulyte, Still Life: Selected poems (translated with Irena Praitis). Scotland: Calder Wood Press, 2011. *Laurynas Katkus, Bootleg Copy: Selected poems. Chicago: Virtual Artists Collective, 2011. Audio / video * CD with Vladimir Tarasov, poetry and percussion. Vilnius, Lithuania: Baltic Optical Disc, Prior Records, 2006. See also *List of U.S. poets Reerences External links ;Poems *"Elegy for Kathy Larneard" at StAnza. *2 poems by Kerry Shawn Keys at Spork Press. *Equinox at Walker Lake: Kerry Shawn Keys at the Other Voices International Poetry Project. ;Audio / video *Kerry Shawn Keys at YouTube ;Books *Kerry Shawn Keys at Amazon.com ;About *Kerry Shawn Keys at Poets & Writers *Kerry Shawn Keys at Ploughshares *Keys, Kerry Shawn at the Pennsylvania Center for the Book. *[http://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2012/september/night-flight-kerry-shawn-keys#.UTVX-KJ_CSo review of Night Flight] at World Literature Today. Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:American poets Category:American writers Category:American translators Category:Translators from Lithuanian Category:Translators from Portuguese Category:Vilnius University faculty Category:20th-century poets Category:21st-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Translators to English